Crowdsourcing represents the act of a company or institution taking a function once performed by employees and outsourcing it to an undefined (and generally large) network of people in the form of an open call.

Jeff Howe, Jun 2006

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Match my sock

Submitted by: DennisJ
Created: Jul 20, 2006, 11:57 am

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The Idea

Users upload pictures of all the odd socks they have found in the laundry, with brief descriptions ("sock tags"). The site uses AI and image processing to match odd socks, and notifies users when a pair can be formed from the socks they have submitted. This may include pairs of socks submitted by the same user, who hadn't managed to match them himself. . Users agree amongst themselves how the socks will be re-paired. . This may lead to the formation of an odd sock market where rarer socks could be swapped for more than one of the commoner types ("sock exchange").

I thought of this idea when I was...

.. emptying the dryer just now. . Clarification... . Apart from being an excuse for some weak puns on the sock theme, this idea was really a metaphor for the real-life problem of finding items in order to complete a set. Some things are worth considerably more if they are in a full set, either functionally (e.g. an incomplete deck of cards doesn't work), or aesthetically (e.g. a set of chairs). . So, what I propose is a marketplace where people can connect with others who have just what they need to complete a set of things. . Revenue would come from a one-off charge for those posting their requirements, which would allow them to advertise until the required item is found.

Comments Posted

876 Posted: July 20, 2006, 6:08 pm

You would have to enforce very strict photography standards (sock angle, lighting etc.) in order to have even a slight chance of identifying matching socks.

My personal theory regarding odd socks is, most of them are in your laundry. The odds of someone else living outside your home having your socks is very slim, even if you use a laundromat.

FireWire Posted: August 4, 2006, 6:33 pm

Im pretty sure the cost of a 6 pack of brand new socks will cost you alot less then a subscription payment to a service like this.

KITTYKAT Posted: December 1, 2006, 12:14 am

well i had an idea when my date stood me up and i sat down ans thought i should of had a drink b4 and after

litus Posted: December 2, 2006, 3:49 pm

I think the idea of a matching up service(not just for socks, I think they disappear to places we should not explore) is a very good one. We throw out a lot of stuff for the want of some small missing component.

Dug Posted: December 4, 2006, 2:21 pm

This has entertainment value (not commercial value). I told some family members and they laughed their guts out.
Can you morph it into something more general ie match 2 of ????
Example: has anyone ever told you you have an identical twin in ? But it's never you that spots them. Can you have a Match my Identical Twin tab?

Rich2809 Posted: November 5, 2007, 7:17 am

Thought you said stock

Hello!

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